1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for the care of contact lenses comprising a chamber for containing a treatment liquid, a contact lens holder for immersion in the treatment liquid, and means for agitating the treatment liquid.
2. Description of Related Art
In known devices of this type (German Patent Publication No. OS 34 10 400 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,492), the treatment liquid is agitated by rotation of the contact lens holder, rotation being effected manually by means of a rotatably mounted cover and gearing between the cover and the contact lens holder. In this arrangement agitation or stirring of the treatment liquid is relatively limited and, for this reason, so is the washing of the contact lenses and the dissolution of any tablets or powders in the treatment liquid. Manual operation has proved unsatisfactory in practice.
Devices for ultrasonically cleaning contact lenses also are known (German Patent Publication Nos. OS 25 07 335, 29 25 750 and 13 06 519, and European Pat. No. 031 152). However, because their manufacture is relatively complicated and costly, ultrasonic cleaning devices are too expensive for general use. Furthermore, such devices are not easy to use, particularly while traveling, and, stresses produced by ultrasonic treatment also may result in damage to the contact lenses.
Accordingly, it has been proposed in copending application Ser. No. 069,672 filed on July 6, 1987 which is hereby incorporated by reference, to surrounds the contact lens holder in the container for the treatment liquid--the multiple-part housing with an electric motor and gearing for driving the stirrer in one part of the housing and a battery for powering the motor positioned in another part of the housing.